Witchcraft

Karl concealed what had really happened.

He had indeed lost consciousness, but only for a brief time.

He came to before the flames burned everything to ash. While he was at it, he searched Miles's corpse and found the Gemstone Ring.

As a noble, he had the privilege of being exempt from searches, so he had kept it hidden on his person without anyone finding it.

But he couldn't hide it from the senses of a Senior Wizard Apprentice.

"Enchanted Item."

Adolf took the ring and gently stroked its gemstone, a look of regret in his eyes.

"It's imbued with the Zero-ring Witchcraft Banshee's Howl. It can intimidate anyone below a knight, and even affect knights to some extent. Unfortunately, it's damaged, and probably won't work many more times."

Compared to when Karl had first acquired it, the sapphire-blue gemstone had grown much duller, and several cracks marred its surface.

Using an Enchanted Item to cast witchcraft consumed its durability.

"I can offer you two magic stones for this Enchanted Item, or..." Adolf began, "you can exchange it for a Zero-ring Witchcraft from me."

"I'll take the witchcraft," Karl replied at once.

"A wise choice." Adolf nodded, fetched a sheet of parchment, and pointed to it. "You can choose one of these."

Karl lowered his head to look at the parchment.

There were six kinds of witchcraft listed.

Arcane Missile, Lesser Mage Hand, Lesser Force Field, Poisoning Technique, Stun Technique, and a Paralysis Technique.

Only the names of the spells were written down.

"Teacher," Karl said with a frown. "Could you tell me a little about these spells?"

Going by the names alone, he could only guess at each spell's purpose. He had no idea how difficult they were to learn or how powerful they might be.

Besides, some spells were hard to guess from their names alone.

"Karl." Adolf shook his head gently. "This is your first lesson. In the world of wizards, all knowledge comes at a price."

"That includes introductions to witchcraft."

Clearly, Adolf had no intention of telling him for free.

"But..." Karl frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "When I fought Miles, an invisible force protected him. I'd like to learn that spell."

Miles had cast three spells in all. The first had wrapped his sword in a sharp glow that could slice through flesh with ease.

The second was an invisible force field that could bend attacks and affect others.

The third was a mental attack cast with the help of an Enchanted Weapon.

Of the three, Karl most wanted to master the second. That spell could save his life, and surviving danger was what mattered most.

"You're perceptive." Adolf clearly approved of Karl's response. "That spell is called Lesser Force Field. It's the best value among these six Zero-ring Witchcraft spells, and you can go on to learn an advanced spell in the same branch."

"Tim!"

"Yes, Mentor." Tim stepped forward.

"Take him to get the spellbooks," Adolf said. "By the witness of the Nine-ring Tower, any witchcraft you learn from me must not be taught to anyone else without my permission, until the end of my life."

The final sentence was directed at Karl.

Adolf hadn't said what would happen if Karl taught the spells to others without permission, but it probably wouldn't be anything good.

"Yes."

They both answered.

"Once you get to know him, you'll see that Mentor is actually easy to talk to." After they left the side hall, Tim led the way, speaking as they walked. "Don't think he's too strict."

"I don't," Karl replied with a shake of his head. "I think this is fine."

If a stranger had been overly friendly toward him, he would have wondered what they were after.

Adolf took money for his services, which made it hard to find fault with him.

"That's good."

Tim nodded and stopped in front of a wall. A painting hung there, depicting a dignified woman in elegant clothes.

"Gina," he said to the painting. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you open the door?"

"Tim, it's been a while." To Karl's astonishment, the woman in the painting actually rolled her eyes like a living person and waved at him. "You're a new face, young man!"

"Th-this..." Karl stared, stammering. "The painting's talking?"

"Such a country bumpkin," the woman in the painting said, rolling her eyes. "I'm a Magic Servant, created by a real wizard's spell. I'm one of Adolf's family heirlooms. Looks like you've only just entered the world of wizards, little fellow."

"That's right." Tim nodded. "Karl is a new student of Mentor's. I'm taking him to get some books."

"Fine!"

The woman in the painting shrugged, then swept one hand lightly to the side. The wall slid away on its own.

Behind it lay a lavish study, as grand as a library.

Seeing something like this for the first time, Karl stood there dumbstruck, then shuffled forward like a puppet on strings.

"Comprehensive Knowledge of Force Fields, Arcane Principles, General Principles of Wizardry, and Deep Sea Meditation Method."

Tim pulled book after book from the shelves and stacked them in Karl's arms. "Wizards pursue knowledge and truth. Every wizard has a study, and you'll have one of your own someday."

"Mm!"

Karl grunted. Looking at the books in his arms, each as thick as an encyclopedia, he wore a bitter expression. "Do I have to learn all of them?"

How long would that take?

"You don't have to master everything, but you do need to know about it." Tim's expression was serious. "Meditation methods and witchcraft both demand absolute carelessness from no one. A mistake could cost more than just your own life."

"Don't think of it as a nuisance, either. Later, you can learn Shorthand Technique to help you study and save time. But remember, memorizing something and understanding it are two very different things."

"Then..." Karl frowned. "How long does it usually take to learn a spell?"

"It depends on the person." Tim tapped his cane and answered, "Some people can learn a Zero-ring Witchcraft in a few months. Others need several years, and some never master one in their entire lives."

"Take me, for example..."

"The first spell I learned was Arcane Missile. It took me a full six months. The second one came much faster, since I already had some experience."

"Ah!" Karl gaped.

He hadn't imagined it would take so long. Learning witchcraft seemed far more complicated than training with a sword.

"You don't need to rush into learning witchcraft," Tim said. "First, learn a meditation method. You'll be qualified to study spells only once you've made progress with it and stabilized your mental strength."

"Come on!"

"Bro—Senior Brother Tim." Karl hurried after him. "How long does it take to make progress with a meditation method?"

"It varies with talent." Unlike Adolf, his mentor, Tim didn't bring up money at every turn. Perhaps every Wizard Apprentice knew this sort of thing, so he explained it casually. "Someone with Level One Talent can make progress in at most half a month. Someone with Level Two Talent needs at least two or three months. My talent is Level Three, and it took me a year to make progress with the meditation method."

?

Tim hadn't said how long Level Four Talent took, but it was clearly longer than Level Three.

Karl's expression grew grim.

"Don't worry." Seeing his face change, Tim reassured him. "I was very young when I learned the meditation method, and didn't understand much. Adults are better at understanding things, so it should take you less time."

"Maybe..."

"You could learn the meditation method in just a few months."

"Besides, talent only matters while you're a Wizard Apprentice. Once you become a Formal Wizard, it won't make a difference."

Even so, Tim was only trying to comfort him. He didn't think Karl had any chance of becoming a Formal Wizard.

Level Four Talent...

It was only a little better than Level Five Talent, which barely allowed someone to advance to Wizard Apprentice. His potential was simply too low!

Karl said nothing.

On the way back, he hugged the stack of books, his mind in turmoil. One thought after another crowded in on him.

The strange Book of Witches!

The mysterious wizards!

The wondrous witchcraft!

The talking painting!

It was as if he had suddenly entered a wondrous new world, with one unprecedented sight after another appearing before his eyes.

"Whatever happens, I have the talent to become a wizard, which is already more than many people can say. I'll try practicing the meditation method first."

Karl wasn't discouraged.

His talent might not be very good, but he had a cheat at his disposal.